Sen. Ben Cardin (D., Md.) on Tuesday explained his decision to oppose the Iran nuclear deal, criticizing President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry for the deference they have shown to a regime that seeks the U.S.’s destruction.
Cardin, who is the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, officially announced his opposition to the deal Friday and outlined his objections to the deal on the Senate floor on Tuesday.
"I must tell you I am concerned with the language in the agreement that talks about the United States and Iran with mutual respect and normalization," Cardin said.
"I don’t know how you can have mutual respect for a country that actively foments regional instability, advocates Israel’s destruction, kills innocents, and shouts ‘death to America,’" Cardin said.
Cardin’s statement is a shot at Obama and Kerry, whose frequent objections to Iran’s support for terrorism and myriad other abuses are interspersed with declarations of "respect" for the leaders of the Islamic republic.
"[T]he sentiment most commonly used by aides to both men to describe their relationship: respect," the Washington Post reported about Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in July.
President Obama has said that the deal—which lifts decades-old sanctions that made Iran a virtual pariah state in the global economy—will integrate Iran into the international community.
Cardin is the third Senate Democrat to announce opposition to the nuclear deal. The Obama administration has not convinced any Republican lawmakers to support the deal, although it has secured the support of 41 Democrats.
Quinnipiac University polling shows that Americans oppose the Iran deal by a two-to-one margin.